Vehicle-tongue



(No Model.)

J. P. JOHNSON.

VEHICLE TONGUE.

No. 407,864. Patented July 30, 1889.

2 v nausea grnphc Wuhingmn. D. c.

. UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

JAMES P; JOHNSON, OF GIRARD, ILLINOIS.

VEHICLE-TONGUE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 407,864, dated July 30, 1889.

Application filed March 18, 1889. Serial No. 303,728. (No model.)

To ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES P. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Girard, in the county of Macoupin and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Tongues, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in vehicle-tongues; and it consists in a certain novel construction and combination of devices, fully described hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings, and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tongue embodying my improvements applied in the operative position to an axle. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the boX..

Referring to the drawings by letter, A designates the fork-shaped draw-iron, having the box B at its front end and the integral rearwardly-divergent arms 0 C, which are connected to the clips D D on the axle E by the transverse bolts F F.

The box B is hollow, and is provided in its lower side with a longitudinal slot G, and transverse bolts H H pass through register- 'ing apertures in opposite sides of the box,

and are engaged by the adj Listing-nuts h 71, whereby the sides of the box may be drawn toward each other.

I designates the tongue or pole, which is fitted at its rear end in the box, and is provided with transverse perforations which register with the apertures in the sides of the box, in order to allow the tightening-bolts to pass therethrough, and when the nuts are tightened it will be seen that the end of the tongue or pole is tightly clamped in the box and all play is avoided. Different sized tongues or poles may thus be arranged in the box, inasmuch as the box can be adjusted in size. The upper side of the box is thickened and flattened to form a bearing plate or surface K for the whiffietree, (not shown,) and the hammer-bolt L passes through an opening in the upper side of the box and a similar registering aperture in the tongue or pole, and the box is provided in opposite edges of its slot opposite the apertures in the pole or tongue with notches M M, which engage the hammer-bolt to allow the box to be contracted to fit a small tongue or pole.

N N represent inclined brace-rods, which are connected at their rear ends to the bolts F F, which pivot the arms of the draw-iron, and are secured at their front ends to the opposite sides of the box by means of the transverse bolts H H.

From the above description it will be seen that the improved tongue is simple and strong in construction, it is easily connected to the vehicle, and when the tongue or pole, which is preferably made of Wood, is broken it may be readily and quickly replaced without the aid of a wheelwright or wagon-builder. The brace-rods N N being attached to vehicle and box give great strength and security, and in case the draw-iron should break, the bracerods would of themselves support the pole and draw the vehicle.

The draw-iron-may be of steel, malleable or common iron, and the divergent arms 0 C may be round, half-round, or hollow, the object of making them hollow being to give greater strength with less weight than couldotherwise be had.

Having thus described the invention, I claim 1. The combination of the draw-iron provided at its front end with the box having a longitudinal slot extending its entire length, the adjusting screws passing transversely through the box and adapted to engage the sides thereof and draw them tightly around a tongue, and the brace-rods secured to opposite sides of the box and extending along the sides of draw-iron and adapted to be connected to a thill-coupling, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a draw-iron provided at its front end with a box having a longitudinal slot in its lower side and a fiat bearing-surface on the upper side, and the adj Listing-bolts H H, engaging registering apertures in the opposite sides of the box and passing transversely through the box, whereby the size of the box may be varied, of the tongue or pole fitting at its rear end in the said box, substantially as specified.

3. As an improved article of manufacture,

the draw-iron for vehicle-tongues. comprising In testimony that I claim the foregoing as the longitudinally-slotted box B, havingan apmy own I have hereto affixed my signature in m erture in its upper side and notches M M in the presence of two Witnesses.

opposite edges of its slot, the divergent arms 5 integral with the rear end of the box, and the JAMES JOHNSON adjusting-bolts engaging registering aper- Witnesses: tures in opposite sides of the box, swbstan- S. O..KNO'ITs,

tially as specified. J. COY ROAOH. 

